Moving to Medford as a new physician with family pros and cons? (Grants Pass: house prices, neighborhood) - Oregon (OR) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Metlakatla · 10-21-2018, 04:39 PM

All I know is that I couldn't live in all that smoke.

PNW-type-gal · 10-21-2018, 05:19 PM

This was definitely the worst in the 6 years that I have lived here - my friends on the other side of the Cascades say it was bad near Crater Lake as well, the worst they have seen in 20 years.

Some summer smoke from wildfires is a yearly fact of life, but usually it is a couple days to a week here and there.

This last year was far worse, since it started so early and was all around us. It was sort of a "perfect storm" of things - extraordinarily dry forest, especially that early in the year, a set of bad lightning storms, so many fires in the west that resources to fight them were stretched so thin that the only fires that could grab enough firefighters were fires which threatened humans and structures, which left other fires seriously undermanned.

We went out to the coast for two separate two week periods to get away (Waldport and Bandon) and it was bad there, too. A friend from Eugene came down here when the winds shifted and it was worse there than here. We canceled trips to Bend and Joseph/Wallowa because of bad air quality - it was pretty much inescapable, all across Oregon. We were in Crescent City, Ca for a few days this last week to go wandering through the redwoods and one of the Nor Cal fires flared up and Hwy 199 was smokey and so was Crescent City - the manager at the hotel has asthma and was wearing an N95 mask all week.

Larry Caldwell · 10-21-2018, 09:41 PM

This was the worst summer for fires in a long time. A large part of Redding burned. One of my high school classmates posted progress photos online. Her house was fine, but the house they sold three years ago burned to the ground. She had before and after photos, and it was a high end home, with landscaped yard, large pool, patio, and fancy architecture from the outside.

When the wind was from the south, it blew smoke right into Medford. We got it 80 miles north of there, but not as bad. When the wind was from the north, you got the smoke from the fires outside Grants Pass.

We have only had 1/2" of rain in 5 months. The fire department is still not issuing outdoor burn permits. We desperately need rain.

jdoll88 · 10-22-2018, 03:32 PM

my wife's mother lives there and while crime concerns me a bit I'd live there as long as I had work-small market worries me a bit but its a nice little town and a bit isolated but nice weather compared to boise and other places in NW no sales tax is nice you have everything you need like malls, theatres and costco

Doctordad · 10-31-2018, 01:57 PM

My wife and I just visited medford this past weekend. We really enjoyed the area. The tree's foliage had some of the most amazing colors I've ever seen. Jacksonville was a really amazing small town. I think the area could work well for my family and I. Few other questions though. I'm looking for a home with a decent sized yard, one that could support a small garden and possibly a pool in the future. The east side of town seemed to have great homes, but no yards. Where else should I look that is safe for 2 kids and they could ride their bikes? Also has anyone made the drive to boise from medford? The road google maps would want us to take seems pretty remote and I would be afraid to drive it in the winter or summer. I would hate to get stranded out there. Thanks so much for the help.

PNW-type-gal · 10-31-2018, 02:17 PM

Up Hwy 395 to Hwy 20? I tow that with a trailer at least once a year, spring through fall. Winter it would be storm dependent, but for the most part not too bad. I have been snowed on, mid-spring, on Hwy 395 north of John Day.

It's true that there isn't much out that way, Burns is sort of the largest city, with a couple of grocery stores and diner-style restaurants.

We used to make the drive from Portland to Boise frequently and at least you won't be doing the icy winter Columbia River Gorge part of the drive, where you miraculously have a head-wind no matter which way you are driving.

As far as larger lots, the Urban Growth Boundary sort of limits what you get within the cities. There are some older houses with larger lots, but not all that many. If I wanted a large lot and views, I'd be looking out along Hanley or Old Stage, north of Jacksonville and west of Medford. Or maybe south of Old Stage (where Old Stage is still running E-W, before it makes the turn to N-S at Jacksonville) in the southern area of Medford. On the other hand, those are not really streets for kids to be riding bikes on (unless you are off those main roads) and I don't know anything about the school districts.

Larry Caldwell · 10-31-2018, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctordad

My wife and I just visited medford this past weekend. We really enjoyed the area. The tree's foliage had some of the most amazing colors I've ever seen. Jacksonville was a really amazing small town. I think the area could work well for my family and I. Few other questions though. I'm looking for a home with a decent sized yard, one that could support a small garden and possibly a pool in the future. The east side of town seemed to have great homes, but no yards. Where else should I look that is safe for 2 kids and they could ride their bikes? Also has anyone made the drive to boise from medford? The road google maps would want us to take seems pretty remote and I would be afraid to drive it in the winter or summer. I would hate to get stranded out there. Thanks so much for the help.

Specific housing questions are best addressed to a realtor. Tell them what you are looking for and they will find it. Putting buyers together with sellers is how they earn their money.

As for driving across Southern Oregon: in the summer carry water, in the winter, don't do long trips in a blizzard. You will find I-5 over Siskiyou Summit (just south of the California state line) will be closed from time to time, and chains or winter snow tires/4wd will be required in the passes heading north.

As an MD, you will need to get around in the winter. When my wife was commuting the passes on a daily basis, I put her in a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and mounted studded snow tires in the winter. Studs are not legal in the summer, so I had a second set of rims with all-season tires for summer use. With 4wd and studded snows, she never encountered winter conditions that would stop her. Other traffic, not as well prepared, was sometimes a nuisance. The Subaru Outback is also a popular vehicle in the area. A PNW tire company, Les Schwab, will swap summer and winter rims for free, and it usually takes about 10 minutes.

If you can delay the trip to Boise, snow plows clear the road in a day after heavy snow and any good winter tires and front wheel drive will get you there just fine. Winter weather depends on the vagaries of the jet stream. Some winters you will never see a flake, other winters there will be quite a bit of snow. We have been in a severe drought cycle, and very little snow has fallen in the mountains, with none in the valleys. I think it was 2 years ago, the Mt. Ashland ski resort didn't even open. There was no snow all winter long.

140 between Medford and Klamath falls is a wide and well maintained highway, by far the easiest route over the Cascades. 66 is much more exciting, and you may want to reserve that for a summer cruise in your Corvette convertible. East of K. Falls things are pretty flat. You can pick up 395 in Lakeview and then hang a right on 20 to Boise. That's the desert. Seriously, I never drive that route without a gallon of drinking water behind the driver's seat, even in winter. In the summer, stay hydrated.

gray horse · 11-01-2018, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctordad

My wife and I just visited medford this past weekend. We really enjoyed the area. The tree's foliage had some of the most amazing colors I've ever seen. Jacksonville was a really amazing small town. I think the area could work well for my family and I. Few other questions though. I'm looking for a home with a decent sized yard, one that could support a small garden and possibly a pool in the future. The east side of town seemed to have great homes, but no yards. Where else should I look that is safe for 2 kids and they could ride their bikes? Also has anyone made the drive to boise from medford? The road google maps would want us to take seems pretty remote and I would be afraid to drive it in the winter or summer. I would hate to get stranded out there. Thanks so much for the help.

Head out Stage Rd. just north of town, in the west hills you have Tami Ln. and other roads with acreage and nice houses. That's where I would live. Downtown is cute but very restricted by historic building ordinances.

Good luck...Jacksonville is a great choice!

knpauley77 · 12-07-2018, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctordad

Thanks for all for the responses. If we moved to Medford, we would need to be in Medford because the job is tied to the hospital. So a house in Ashland wouldn’t be an option.

We won’t have to make a decision for a month or so, but we are excited to have some good options.

I understand that the job is tied to the hospital but Ashland and Medford are sister towns so much so that those living in one will commute to the other for work quite often. the difference in the two is the social and economic aspects - liberal vs. conservative; country music vs. classical music type. I grew up in Nor Cal and we were in Ashland/Medford at least once a month - you go to ashland to ski or take in a show and you go to Medford to shop and go to the mall. but you stay in either place - you go to Ithaca park for a adhoc concert or you go to Medford for the movies... different sides of the same coin.

knpauley77 · 12-07-2018, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doctordad

My wife and I just visited medford this past weekend. We really enjoyed the area. The tree's foliage had some of the most amazing colors I've ever seen. Jacksonville was a really amazing small town. I think the area could work well for my family and I. Few other questions though. I'm looking for a home with a decent sized yard, one that could support a small garden and possibly a pool in the future. The east side of town seemed to have great homes, but no yards. Where else should I look that is safe for 2 kids and they could ride their bikes? Also has anyone made the drive to boise from medford? The road google maps would want us to take seems pretty remote and I would be afraid to drive it in the winter or summer. I would hate to get stranded out there. Thanks so much for the help.

This is where we want to move also - moving from Texas with two kiddos; I will be working from home and want the kids to be embedded in their neighborhood - Jacksonville is the coolest little secret near medford! keep us posted on the move - we are looking at moving about this time next year